title: The role of self-monitoring and response inhibition in improving sleep behaviours.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Young adults tend to have poor sleep, which may be a result of poor self-regulation.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  This study investigated whether manipulating two aspects of self-regulation: self-monitoring and response inhibition could improve sleep behaviours.
  
  
  METHODS
  University students (N = 190) were randomly allocated to complete (1) a self-monitoring sleep diary and response inhibition training, (2) a sleep diary only, or (3) a control questionnaire daily for a period of 7 days.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Outcome measures were three sleep hygiene behaviours previously found to be particularly important in this population: avoiding going to bed hungry and thirsty, avoiding anxiety and stress-provoking activity before bed, and making the bedroom and sleep environment restful. Those who completed diary-based self-monitoring successfully avoided anxiety and stress-provoking activity before bed more frequently than control participants, corresponding to a medium effect size, and further development may provide a simple intervention to improve aspects of sleep and other health behaviours.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  There was no incremental effect of response inhibition training. Modified response inhibition training tasks may be worth investigating in future research.
authors.affiliation: School of Psychology, University of Sydney, Sydney, 2006, Australia.
authors.forename: Jemma
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Todd
authors.forename: Barbara
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Mullan
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000704:Analysis of Variance; D001007:Anxiety / Q000517:prevention & control; D005260:Female; D007722:Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; D055991:Health Records, Personal; D006801:Humans; D007266:Inhibition, Psychological; D008297:Male; D057566:Self Report; D012890:Sleep / Q000502:physiology*; D012927:Social Control, Informal; D013315:Stress, Psychological / Q000517:prevention & control; D013334:Students / Q000523:psychology* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D055815:Young Adult